Results 5,801-5,820 of 7,283 for speaker:Josepha Madigan

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: My Department ran an expanded summer education programme for pupils with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage for Summer 2021, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under this expansion, students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage had access to an enhanced summer programme of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: In December 2019, Government approved the national roll out of a new front-loading model for the allocation of Special Needs Assistant (SNAs) support to primary and post-primary schools for students in mainstream classes, as part of the phased roll out of the School Inclusion Model (SIM). Unfortunately, due to the disruption caused by the Covid-19 public health crisis, it was not possible to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Sign Language (12 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: In March Minister Foley and I were pleased to announced details of a new scheme for the provision of Irish Sign Language (ISL) in-school support for students who are Deaf and whose primary means of communication is ISL. The new scheme will involve two key strands of support: - Programme of intensive in-school support for individual students to enable them access teaching and learning and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: The Department's policy is that children with special educational needs access appropriate education intervention in mainstream settings where possible. Many deaf or hard of hearing pupils are included in mainstream classes at primary and post-primary level. Whilst other children who are deaf or hard of hearing and have more complex needs may attend special schools or classes, which have...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Earlier this month, the Government announced this year's Summer Programme to allow all primary and post-primary schools to offer a summer programme for students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage. The total funding available to provide summer programmes this year is up to €40 million. The programme was developed following...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Earlier this month, the Government announced this year's Summer Programme to allow all primary and post-primary schools to offer a summer programme for students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage. The programme aims are to support pupils to maintain their connection with education, to build their confidence and increase their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (12 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs in special schools, in accordance with the policies of my Department. Since 2012, special schools are provided with teaching staff on the basis of individual pupil profiles and disability categories of those...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Earlier this month, the Government announced this year's Summer Programme to allow all primary and post-primary schools to offer a summer programme for students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage. The programme aims are to support pupils to maintain their connection with education, to build their confidence and increase their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: As outlined in Circulars 20/2022 and 21/2022, the data which is being used to update the disadvantage component of the school profiles is the same data which has been used for the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Identification Model. This data is the Central Statistics Office (CSO) Small Area data, as represented in the Haase Pratschke Index of Deprivation (HP Index)....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: The Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile. Under the allocation model, schools have been provided with a total allocation for special education needs support based on their school profile. The SET allocation model has been in place since...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Earlier this month, the Government announced this year's Summer Programme to allow all primary and post-primary schools to offer a summer programme for students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage. The programme aims are to support pupils to maintain their connection with education, to build their confidence and increase their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I wish to assure the Deputy that the provision of appropriate accommodation for pupils with special education needs is an absolute priority for Minister Foley and myself. In order to make accommodation provision to meet the needs of students with special education requirements, my Department has close engagement with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) which has...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (12 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: An Assessment of Need is a service provided by the Health Service Executive (HSE) for children or young people with a disability. The assessment identifies the child's health needs and what health services are needed to meet the child’s needs. Matters in relation to the provision of health-related services and the assessment of need process should be directed to the HSE or to the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (17 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Earlier this month, the Government announced this year's Summer Programme to allow all primary and post-primary schools to offer a summer programme for students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage. The programme aims are to support pupils to maintain their connection with education, to build their confidence and increase their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: The Consultative Forum for Special Education provides an opportunity for a broad range of parents of children with special educational needs to contribute to the on-going reform and development of special education policy and provision, and, raise concerns in this regard. The forum covers the special education provision for children of school going age attending recognised primary, special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Earlier this month, the Government announced this year's Summer Programme to allow all primary and post-primary schools to offer a summer programme for students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage. The programme aims are to support pupils to maintain their connection with education, to build their confidence and increase their...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 463 to 468, inclusive, together. Enabling students with additional needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is an ongoing priority for this Government. This year, the Department of Education will invest in excess of €2 billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget in the area of special educational needs support. As a result the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: The NCSE has responsibility for planning and co-ordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. My Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations. The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (17 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: The number of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) in our schools is at unprecedented levels. Budget 2022 provides for an additional 1,165 SNAs to provide support to children with special educational needs. This will bring the total number of SNAs to 19,169 by the end of 2022. This represents an increase of 81% in SNA numbers since 2011 when 10,575 SNAs were working in our schools. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (17 May 2022)

Josepha Madigan: Under the Assistive Technology scheme, as set out in my Department’s Circular 0010/2013, funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialist equipment, which are required for educational purposes. All equipment provided under this scheme supports children with more complex disabilities who, in order to access the school curriculum, require essential...